A mileage run is a trip booked purely to collect the qualifying miles or segments still missing for a status threshold.
A mileage run is a trip booked purely to collect the qualifying miles or segments still missing for a status threshold.
Also called: Status run.
How it works#
The arithmetic is simple and rarely done: the cost of the trip against the cash value of what the status will actually deliver next year. Because many programmes now qualify on revenue rather than distance, cheap long-haul flying has largely stopped working as a mileage run. Time and the cost of being at the far end belong in the calculation too.
Not to be confused with#
A mileage run is not the same as a positioning flight: a mileage run generates qualification credit, a positioning flight simply moves the traveller to another booking’s departure airport.
In German#
The German term is Statusflug. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Elite qualification: Elite qualification is the proof that enough flights, qualifying miles or spending have accumulated within a defined period to reach a status tier.
- Elite qualifying miles: Elite qualifying miles are miles that count only towards reaching a frequent flyer tier and cannot be redeemed for awards.
- Positioning flight: A positioning flight is a separately booked flight to the airport where the real trip starts, often because that is where award space was found.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onStatus and lounges.